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DEMERIT POINTS

Ban hangs over fined Kagiso Rabada

Kagiso Rabada has been the flavour of the month everywhere he goes — except in the match referee’s office at Newlands.

And that could affect his availability for SA in what will be their busiest campaign in years.

On Tuesday the fast bowler was fined half his match fee and docked three demerit points for an altercation with Sri Lankan opening batsman Niroshan Dickwella during the fourth one-day international.

The players collided at the nonstriker’s end during the 12th over of the Lankan innings‚ which can happen in cricket’s hurly-burly.

But match referee Richie Richardson took a dim view and‚ in the words of an International Cricket Council release on Wednesday‚ deemed the contact "avoidable".

That put Rabada and Dickwella on the wrong side of the code of conduct‚ which prohibits "inappropriate and deliberate physical contact with a player‚ player support personnel‚ umpire‚ match referee or any other person (including a spectator) in the course of play during an international match".